There are numerous known methods of object coloring by a conventional filtered light source. The most common is theatrical lighting, where a powerful incandescent lamp, strategically positioned inside of the reflector, shines the light onto the object through a colored diffuser. The same principle is used in flashlights, regardless of the lamp type. A disadvantage with these devices, and the principles under which they perform, is they color only the surface to which they are pointed. If there is a need to cover a large object, a stronger light or multiple light beams are needed.
When it comes to other objects, such as moving transparent fluids, e.g., water, the refractory properties of these objects are different from those of solid objects. Consequently, the known methods are neither practical nor perform to a reasonable satisfaction when it comes to lighting these objects. In addition, none of the known devices are capable of uniformly coloring the moving fluid along the flow direction. Moreover, customer demand for aesthetically pleasing optically enhanced static or dynamic fluids creates a need in the art for a low-cost, low-energy, compact device to provide water stream coloring in devices such as common household appliances and fixtures.
The present invention addresses these and other drawbacks with known lighting systems.